Ala. Supreme Court blocks Country Crossing hearing

Published 12:00 am Thursday, February 18, 2010

DOTHAN (AP) — The Alabama Supreme Court has blocked a hearing Thursday in Dothan, where a judge was going to consider legal issues surrounding the closed Country Crossing casino.

The Supreme Court issued an order Wednesday stopping the hearing pending further orders from the state’s highest court. Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb dissented from the order.

Circuit Judge P.B. McLauchlin had scheduled the hearing Thursday to consider whether the litigation filed by Country Crossing against the Governor’s Task Force of Illegal Gambling is still pending before him and whether he can rule on the legality of the gambling machines at Country Crossing.

Task Force Commander John Tyson had sought to block the proceedings.

Country Crossing closed its electronic bingo casino Jan. 29 to prevent a raid by the task force.